Letter: Reeves-Ellington a breath of fresh air

I have known Richard Reeves-Ellington as a friend and neighbor for a number of years and was delighted when he decided to become a candidate for Town Supervisor. He is a breath of fresh air in politics – a person who has a keen interest in the pressing issues of our day, has thoughtful, insightful, and well informed views, and most of all is a person of integrity who knows what he believes in and can defend his positions which being influenced by the shifting winds of political expediency.

I particularly appreciate Richard’s views on our healthcare crisis. Few disagree that we, in fact, have a crisis even though there is no apparent consensus on a solution. Richard has studied the issue and agrees that access to quality affordable healthcare is a basic human right and that a single payer Medicare for All system is the only appropriate approach to resolving the basic inequities of our current system.

While many view this as a national issue, Richard knows that this is a local issue as well. The high cost of healthcare has a significant impact on our municipal and school budgets – and therefore on our local property tax rates. The exorbitant and ever increasing cost of paying for our current healthcare system impacts, as well, on the stability and quality of life of our friends, our neighbors, our local businesses, and ultimately our community. It’s unconscionable that people are forced into bankruptcy because they cannot pay for needed medical care. This is not hype; it is happening. How many people do you know who are running the risk of being uninsured because they cannot afford to pay health insurance premiums? How many young people entering the job market cannot find a job with benefits? Why do so many businesses only hire part-time employees, and avoid the cost of medical insurance premiums, when people, and our economy, need full time jobs?

These are only some examples of the damage inflicted by our current healthcare system - and clearly we need a different approach. Richard Reeves-Ellington is ready, willing, and courageous enough to address the issues facing our community. I am supporting him for Town Supervisor and I urge you to do the same.